Turkey meatballs in gravy feature soft, juicy meatballs with herbs cooked in a delicious, creamy gravy. This Polish comfort food classic is simple to make, surprisingly low in fat and full of flavour.
Turkey meatballs in gravy are called ‘klopsiki w sosie’ in Polish (pron. klop-SHEE-khy-f- SO-shae). They are similar to pulpety, which are soft, large meatballs cooked in a vegetable sauce, as well as crispy, breaded kotlety mielone (which do not come with sauce). Traditionally klopsiki were made with pork, but ground turkey works equally well and these days often replaces pork.
My turkey klopsiki meatballs are easy to make and come together in a few simple steps. Once formed, the meatballs are browned in a little oil for added flavour and colour, then finish cooking in a quick and easy gravy (made in the same pan!). The gravy is creamy, rich and delicious, though made with a lot less fat than most gravy recipes, so this dish is also quite healthy.
Scroll down to the bottom of the post for my tips on how to prepare the turkey meatballs in advance then combine with the gravy the following day for a quick, delicious dinner, perfect with potatoes, noodles and other easy side dishes!
Turkey meatballs in gravy ingredients and substitutions
For the meatballs
- Ground turkey: make sure it contains 7-10% fat (this is turkey thigh meat). I do not recommend using white meat (i.e., turkey breast), which is very low in fat and does not produce juicy meatballs.
- Egg: helps bind the mixture.
- Breadcrumbs: I used a mixture of coarse and fine homemade breadcrumbs.
- Milk: adds moisture.
- Onion: adds flavour and moisture and is an essential ingredient in all Polish-style meatballs.
- Herbs: I used herbes de Provence, but you can use your favourite herb mixture.
- Oil: I used cold-pressed rapeseed oil, but you can use any (except coconut oil).
- Salt and pepper.
For the gravy
- Stock: use any. Make sure it’s hot before you add it into the pan.
- Flour: thickens the gravy.
- Flavour: I used a combination of soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce and mustard. Adjust the amounts to suit your taste.
- Butter: enhances the flavour.
Equipment you’ll need
- Small pan: for cooking the onion.
- Large mixing bowl: for preparing the meatball mixture.
- Large non-stick pan: Make sure it’s large enough for 16 meatballs.
- Bowl and whisk: For preparing the flour mixture for gravy.
Step-by-step recipe instructions
1. Cook onion: In a small pan heat ½ tablespoon of oil, add the onion and cook over a low/medium heat for about 5 minutes until softened, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
2. Prepare turkey meatball mixture: To a large mixing bowl add the ground turkey, breadcrumbs, milk, egg, onion (once cooled), herbs, salt and pepper. Mix the ingredients thoroughly with your hand (take a few minutes to do this). The mixture will be soft.
3. Form meatballs: Form 16 meatballs (the size of large walnuts) by rolling the meat mixture between the palms of your hands. Do this thoroughly to make sure the meatballs keep their shape in cooking.
4. Brown meatballs: Heat 1 tablespoon of oil then one by one add the meatballs and cook over a medium heat for about 5 minutes turning several times until they are nicely browned all over (but are still raw inside). The meatballs will be soft so it’s best to turn them over gently one by one (rather than shake the pan).
5. Add stock: Pour in the hot stock, cover and simmer gently for 5-6 minutes.
6. Prepare thickening mixture: In a bowl whisk together the flour, cold water, mustard, soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce until smooth and creamy.
7. Thicken gravy: Whisk in 2 tablespoons of the hot broth from the pan then move the meatballs a little to the side and whisk the entire flour mixture into the broth. Stir gently to make sure the flour is distributed throughout the gravy then cover the pan and simmer for another 4 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through (avoid overcooking them).
8. Serve: Remove from the heat, add the butter, adjust the seasoning if needed and enjoy!
Serving suggestions
I like to serve klopsiki turkey meatballs in gravy with fresh dill and parsley, boiled potatoes and either steamed broccoli or green beans. They are also delicious with mashed potatoes and Polish beets.
As these meatballs come with a generous amount of gravy, they can also be served over egg noodles as well as various types of kasza (including buckwheat, barley or millet).
Can I prepare turkey meatballs with gravy ahead
Yes, you can prepare the meatballs (Steps 1-4), refrigerate them, once cooled, and finish cooking the recipe the following day (Steps 5-8). This will save you time and you’ll have a steaming dish of succulent turkey meatballs in healthy gravy ready to serve in minutes!
TIP: As these meatballs will have been in the fridge overnight, they might need an extra minute or two of cooking time (check for doneness after about 9-10 minutes).
Top tips
- Mix the meatball ingredients thoroughly to make sure the meatballs feel firm before you brown them.
- Do not overcook the meatballs. Once you’ve browned them, they shouldn’t need more than 10 minutes of additional cooking time.
- Best served immediately. Leftover Polish-style turkey meatballs and gravy can be refrigerated, covered, for up to 3 days.
- Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight and reheat either in the microwave or on the stovetop.
- You can also freeze just the meatballs (browned and cooled) on top of a tray for 3 hours, then transfer to a freezer bag and return to the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost on top of a plate in the fridge overnight then cook the meatballs in the gravy (as per Steps 5-8). Note that you can freeze the meatballs only if using ground turkey that hasn’t been previously frozen.
More turkey meatball recipes to try next
- Turkey Quinoa Meatballs (No Egg or Breadcrumbs)
- Turkey Meatballs in Tomato Sauce
- Healthy Meatballs in Mushroom Sauce
See also these other easy, delicious meal ideas as well as more Polish recipes!
Recipe
Polish-Style Turkey Meatballs in Gravy (Klopsiki)
Ingredients
For the meatballs
- 1⅓ pounds (600 g) ground turkey 7-10% fat
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 1 large egg
- 7 tablespoons (30 g) breadcrumbs I used a mixture of fine and coarse, see *Notes
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 1⅔ teaspoons dried mixed herbs e.g. herbes de Provence
- ⅔ teaspoon fine sea salt plus pepper to taste (be generous)
- 1½ tablespoons oil vegetable or olive
For the gravy
- 1⅓ cup (320 ml) stock any (hot), use ½ stock cube
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose/plain flour
- 3 tablespoons cold water
- 1½ teaspoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard
- ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon butter
Instructions
- Cook onion: In a small pan heat ½ tablespoon of oil, add the onion and cook over a low/medium heat for about 5 minutes until softened, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
- Prepare turkey meatball mixture: To a large mixing bowl add the ground turkey, breadcrumbs, milk, egg, onion (once cooled), herbs, salt and pepper. Mix the ingredients thoroughly with your hand (take a few minutes to do this). The mixture will be soft.
- Form meatballs: Form 16 meatballs (the size of large walnuts) by rolling the meat mixture between the palms of your hands. Do this thoroughly to make sure the meatballs keep their shape in cooking.
- Brown meatballs: Heat 1 tablespoon of oil then one by one add the meatballs and cook over a medium heat for about 5 minutes turning several times until they are nicely browned all over (but are still raw inside). The meatballs will be soft so it’s best to turn them over gently one by one (rather than shake the pan).
- Add stock: Pour in the hot stock, cover and simmer gently for 5-6 minutes.
- Prepare thickening mixture: In a bowl whisk together the flour, cold water, mustard, soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce until smooth and creamy.
- Thicken gravy: Whisk in 2 tablespoons of the hot broth from the pan then move the meatballs a little to the side and whisk the entire flour mixture into the broth. Stir gently to make sure the flour is distributed throughout the gravy then cover the pan and simmer for another 4 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through (avoid overcooking them).
- Serve: Remove from the heat, add the butter, adjust the seasoning if needed and enjoy!
Notes
- Mix the meatball ingredients thoroughly to make sure the meatballs feel firm before you brown them.
- Do not overcook the meatballs. Once you’ve browned them, they shouldn’t need more than 10 minutes of additional cooking time.
- Best served immediately. Leftover Polish-style turkey meatballs and gravy can be refrigerated, covered, for up to 3 days.
- Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight and reheat either in the microwave or on the stovetop.
- You can also freeze just the meatballs (browned and cooled) on top of a tray for 3 hours, then transfer to a freezer bag and return to the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost on top of a plate in the fridge overnight then cook the meatballs in the gravy (as per Steps 5-8). Note that you can freeze the meatballs only if using ground turkey that hasn’t been previously frozen.
- *If using only fine breadcrumbs add 1 tablespoon less than the recommended amount.
Nutrition
*Nutritional information is automatically generated and should be considered as an estimate.
**A note about baking: If using a fan-assisted oven refer to your appliance's instructions and adjust the temperature accordingly.
Keep in touch!
If you make Polish klopsiki meatballs in gravy I'd love to know how they turned out for you. Let me know in the comments below, thanks:)
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